Checking apparatus for documents

Abstract

An apparatus for determining the identity or authenticity of a document and/or the identity of a user of a document to determine if such person is authorized to do so, and which document is formed as a data carrier, comprising readers for data which can be automatically read and applied to the document. A keyboard or equivalent structure is provided for the infeed of a secret code, such as a number(s), letter(s) or other characters, as is also an evaluation circuit. The evaluation circuit comprises a fixed storage where there can be stored constant data and data processing programs, an access circuit which evaluates parts of the automatically readable data of the document and/or the secret code written in by means of the keyboard in the form of select addresses. A computer which, while using the selected data and processing programs, processes the selected constant data to provide a result, and an indicator for the result, the indicator constituting, for instance, a Yes/No-indicator or multi-character or multi-digit indicator.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for the selective determination of at least any one of the identity of a document formed as a data carrier, the identity of the proper user of the document, or both, comprising reading devices for automatically reading automatically readable data applied to the document, keyboard means for the infeed of a secret number, an evaluation circuit, said evaluation circuit possessing fixed storage means in which there are stored constant data and data processing programs, access circuit means for selectively evaluating any one of parts of the automatically readable data of the document, the secret number introduced via the keyboard means, or both, in the form of select addresses, computer means which through utilization of the selected constant data and data processing programs processes the selected constant data into a result, and means for the indication of said result, the improvement wherein the document embodies a document carrier containing characteristic data, one of the reading devices serves for the determination of the characteristic data of the document carrier and includes a mask possessing a number of measurement regions, the individual measurement regions are separated from one another by non-sensitive partition webs of a width essentially corresponding to at least one means incorporated into the document carrier, and circuit means for logically coupling two successively carried out measurement operations while displacing the mask through a distance corresponding to the width of a web. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said mask comprises a substantially linear mask. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said mask comprises a substantially areal mask. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means incorporated into the document carrier comprises particles. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means incorporated into the document carrier comprises pores.